Unmade (ValkyrieRomanov)
by BetaTurtle
Summary: Valkyrie wants to forget, but her newest prisoner reminds her too much of the ones she has lost.
1. Chapter 1

She'd had a name once. But that didn't matter. Names were what mortals needed to differentiate themselves and make them feel special. Humans, scrapping for every ounce of individuality and transcendence that such a short lifespan could give them.

Legends didn't need true names. The names of the gods transmuted over time. Þórr, Thor, God of Thunder, it was all the same.

The Valkyries had been legends once too, maybe were legends still, though not legends often told around the fires of men. Forgotten by time, their stories were buried by the man they'd sworn to protect: Odin. And now that the Valkyries were all dead, what did she need individuality for?

She was simply Valkyrie.

Empty bottles littered the ground beside her. She tipped the last of an IPA-humans were always inventing new ways to get trashed, new ways for forget-upside down, letting the remaining droplets trickle down her throat. The bottle broke with a crash where she threw against at the wall. Forgetting. Let her forget.

But she couldn't.

"You know you'd probably be making more money if you weren't wasted all the time." Her latest capture for the grandmaster wry, ruthless, and a pain in the ass.

"I make enough," she said, picking another beer from the case she'd picked up on earth and opening it. The hiss of escaping air was like a whispered promise.

"Clearly." The redhead was looking around at her ship, a look of judgement painted on her face. Valkyrie looked at it too. She hadn't thought about it for a while, but it really was a bit of a dump: broken glass everywhere, control panels sticky with old food and drink, and the humid smell of sweat lingering in the air. She made a mental note to hire a cleaner after she'd dropped off her latest contender and went back to sipping her beer.

But the redhead wasn't finished. "Look, why don't you let me go, take me back to earth, and I can make this worth your while."

"I don't need your money," Valkyrie said, gruffly. She didn't know why she was engaging. She should really just press that little button on her incapacitator and put her to sleep, but the human reminded her of someone. Those same full lips and slightly husky voice... no.

"Then why are you doing this? You're clearly not an idiot. I mean, not to pat myself on the back too much, but typically when I end up in situations like these, it's not on accident."

"Then why'd you let yourself get caught, human?" She deflected.

"Natasha," the prisoner said. "Natasha Romanov."

"I didn't ask for your name."

"I didn't ask to be taken prisoner."

Valkyrie laughed, this girl was smart. She'd been tough to catch, particularly for a human with no superpowers, but that only meant good things for the price she was going to get from her. Lately humans had been of particular interest to the Grandmaster-gods knew why. At least this one had fight in her. She liked that. She opened up another beer and walked it over to the human… Natasha.

"Thanks," Natasha said, taking it from her as best she could with the manacles trapping her wrists together. Something about the woman made her want to take them off, to apologize, to hold her face in her hands and… Valkyrie fought down the urge, turned away.

"So you never answered why." Natasha said.

Valkyrie sighed heavily. There was no reason to tell this woman anything. Prisoners didn't deserve answers. And still she wondered what harm it would do. What harm, just this once, to say something to let it out. The woman would be out of her hands soon enough.

"It's an old story, a cliche really at this point. It's not interesting."

"It's a long ride to wherever the hell we're going, right? And I'm a captive audience." Natasha smiled, chuckling at her own joke. A shiver ran through Valkyries spine; _she_ used to laugh at herself like that. Smart-ass woman.

"I had a friend who used to smile like you do," she admitted. "In the… military. That's what you humans have, right?"

"Sure," Natasha said.

"We were sworn to protect the crown, and we were fucking great at it. Just, incredible. You should have seen us flying in, swords high, blood in the clouds. We were righteous," she said. She smiled at her own memories remembering those days, her comrades by her side. Her commander ahead of her, gorgeous and powerful in her white and gold armor. "Then things just fucked up. We were sent on a mission that we were never supposed to win. I'm the only one that's left."

"You were unmade," Natasha says, almost under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Valkyrie stands. She's had enough of this, not sure what she thought would come out of it in the first place, cursing herself for imagining… what?


	2. Chapter 2

An alert sounded from the speakers and a flashing light illuminated her control panel.

"An attack?" Natasha asked.

Valkyrie dropped the bottle and ran towards her alerts, shutting them off as she took a seat in her captain's chair and grabbed hold of the controls.

Out the window, a huge ship was coming towards them, red paint smearing the sides in indescifrable patterns, looking like blood. How could she have let them get so close? Maybe if she hadn't been busy spilling her guts out to a prisoner she'd have seen them coming. Now it was too late.

"Ravagers," she answered finally.

Valkyrie flipped the switch on her jump drive, and it let out a sputtering noise.

"That didn't sound good," Natasha said.

Valkyrie banged the console and tried again.

This time not even a splutter.

"You're real observant, aren't you?" She said sarcastically. She immediately regretted the hard edge to her voice. Damn, living alone for so long had really dulled her social skills.

But Natasha didn't even blink. Her face was stoic, unreadable in the flashing of he lights as Valkyrie grappled for control of her ship. The Ravager vessel was on top of them now, and it opened fire over their bow. Pushing the yolk forward, Valkyrie's small scavenger class space ship dove down below the shot, barely escaping it. The maneuver threw Natasha across the cockpit and she yelped in pain. Valkyrie threw the keys to Natasha's cuffs behind her, not taking her eyes from the Ravager ship.

"Come sit up here. It's going to get rough, and I need someone to man the turrets," she said. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to let a prisoner move around unencumbered through her aircraft, but if the woman tried anything, she always had her incapacitator handy. Plus, from what she'd seen back on earth, the woman was handy in a firefight.

"Big green button on top of the yolk to fire," Valkyrie explained as Natasha sat down beside her in the co-pilot chair.

She didn't have time to admire how comfortable the prisoner seemed in the co-captain seat of her vessel before another shot fired over their nose. She dodged the shot and pushed back the question building in the back of her mind: Had she been in a ship like this before? What secrets was this human hiding?

More fire.

Red lasers exploded in her vision, sending shudders through the aircraft. Answering shots whipped from their ship, blue and green, the colors indicating different frequencies of shield destroying capabilities. From the corner of her eye she could see Natasha smile as a shot made contact with one of the Ravagers's guns, exploding it in a silent cloud of debris.

"You're good at that," Valkyrie noted.

"I'm a woman of many talents."

"The grandmaster is going to love you."

"You still think you're going to take me back there," Natasha laughed. It wasn't a question the way she said it, more a statement of fact that she seemed to find amusing.

Another explosion rocketed through the cockpit and the alarms flashed anew.

"Shut up!" Valkyrie yelled, slamming more buttons to silence the alarm.

"Anything I can do to help, boss?" Natasha asked, yelling over the sound of gunfire.

"Just keep shooting! I've got to fix the jump drive if we're going to get away from them." Slamming a fist into the dashboard she popped open the control panel and dove into its mess of wires. She wasn't much of a mechanic; most Asgardian technology ran on magic, but in the years since she'd left, she'd learned enough to get by.

Frayed wires sparked from the console as she searched for the source of the short circuit. Natasha let out a whoop of joy, and Valkyrie imagined the look on her face, joy and pride, illuminated in the light of an explosion. Maybe her lips quirked up at the corner. Or maybe she smiled broadly, eyes crinkling in the corners, and cheeks full...

Nope. Wires. Focus on the wires.

"Almost fixed? They're still coming!" Natasha called.

"Almost," Valkyrie grunted in return. Plugging the last wire into place, she heard the telltale hum of the jump drive warming back up. She pushed the panel back into place and got up into her seat. "Hold on!"

The Ravager ship was facing them now, ugly gashes maring its side where Natasha had hit it, an evil red light glowing from the barrel of one of its remaining guns. Growing. And definitely more dangerous looking than Valkyrie felt comfortable with.

No time to think. No time to worry about anything. No time to freeze or consider that her last day alive might possibly be this one. Sitting next to a woman whose smile looked just like her old commander's. Just like last time she would die with..

And before she could process what was happening, Natasha leaned over and pressed the jump drive.


	3. Chapter 3

They were spinning. It's physical as well as metaphorical. Ever since this smart ass woman became a passenger on her ship…but no. That's not how it happened. It was just hard now to imagine Natasha doing anything she didn't want to, even getting kidnapped. Starting over: ever since Valkyrie had captured her, and forced her aboard the ship, Valkyrie's world had been spinning. But for the moment at least, that was literally true as well.

Up, down. Stars. Planet. Stars. Planet. Sky. Trees. Sky. Trees. Ground.

And then she blacked out.

Xxx

When she came to, the sky outside was black and the interior of her ship was only illuminated by faint, blinking emergency lights.

The back of her head felt like someone had kicked it, and there was a sharp pain in her neck.

"Get your beauty sleep?"crouched down in front of the security panel, the curve of her back illuminated in the glow of the red emergency lights, the woman seemed almost feline. Dangerous.

Valkyrie reached a hand up to address the pain in her neck. Then she felt it. A hard metal disk. The incapacitator.

"I wouldn't try to take that off if I were you," Natasha said, glancing behind her. "It's pretty uncomfortable, but don't worry. You get used to it."

"Fuck." Valkyrie said. She knew it was a bad idea to let her prisoner wander around the ship without cuffs… even in an emergency. At least her own wrists weren't chained together.

"It's not as bad as all that. It's just until we get me back home. Then I'm going to turn you over to the Avengers and we'll see what the team wants to do with you. We don't look too kindly to slavers back on earth."

"I'm not a…"

"Slaver? You were just kindly going to give me the option of fighting for my life in the gamesmaster's pit."

"Grandmaster," Valkyrie corrected.

"Hurting or helping?" Natasha said. "Either way, I need your help getting off this planet. I know tech, but this is several generations beyond my capabilities."

"Why would I help you?"

Natasha held up the incapacitator and smirked. "Well, there's this. But I thought we could make a trade instead. IF you get me off this planet and back home. And IF you promise never to return to Earth, then I'll let you go free."

Hells, she was clever. "Fine," Valkyrie said.

Natasha smirked again. "Good. Because I really wasn't looking forward to throwing you in jail. Now come tell me what all this stuff is."

Valkyrie groaned as she got up, a headache from both the concussion and the hangover she'd been dodging for the past week fighting for power in her head, and walked to squat next to Natasha. Underneath the layer of sweat and smoke, she smelled like soap. Lavender.

She squatted down beside her, pointing at different parts, giving their names and vaguely what they did-or at least what she thought they did. Natasha was a quick study, making connections and inferring outcomes as fast as Valkyrie could point and grunt. Damn. She probably could have used more of her millennia traversing the galaxy learning about the thing she was driving and less of it drinking… nope. The drinking was fine. Less… sleeping around? Nah. She had used her time just fine, she ultimately decided.

In a few hours Natasha had finished whatever the hell she was doing and stood up, a disappointing move considering how nice her ass looked bent over the bits and pieces of electronics.

"You're surprisingly good at that," Valkyrie said.

"And you're surprisingly bad at it."

The nerve. "If you didn't have my incapacitator i'd punch you right now."

"Is like to see you try," Natasha said, wiping her grease stained hands on her jumpsuit. Her hair was mussed up and a streak of grease marred her cheek. Seeing someone so perfect unmade like that, made a deep dark part of Valkyrie's heart do a double flip.

She stood up to meet her, putting the beer up to her lips and taking a slow sip. "Oh would you?" Valkyrie walked slowly towards Natasha, looking her in the eye and letting her hips swing in that way she had used on many, many…. many men and women before.

Natasha didn't move, keeping her face stoic and serious. For a second Valkyrie worried her usual powers weren't working. Maybe she didn't swing that way.

And then something cracked in the corner of Natasha's eyes, a smile.

She walked closer, letting a finger trail up the side of Natasha's arm as she circled, using her other hand to sneak into her pocket and…

Natasha's arm shot out, grabbing Valkyrie's hand with such force the incapacitator she'd been pickpocketing clattered to the floor.

Valkyrie swung her other arm around for a punch and Natasha ducked it cleanly. A spin. Another punch that made contact with her opponent's arm. Legs kicking. Hands grabbing. Pulling. Pushing.

Natasha spun away to ran for the incapacitator and Valkyrie followed, practically tackling her to the floor, knocking it even further away. And then Natasha was on top of her, pressing her arms above her head. What knocked Valkyrie still wasn't the move itself. While Natasha was strong for a human, she was a gods damned immortal warrior. She couldn't be held down. What stopped her from escaping was the look in Natasha's eyes. Determination against all odds. And something else. Hunger.

Their faces were so close. Inches apart. Her breathe slowed, and she was suddenly aware of her own chest rising and falling and how every inhale brought them closer. She was aware of Natasha's legs wrapped around her thighs. Aware of her lips and how much she wanted to meet them.

And because that's what Valkyries did: she arched herself up and took what she wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

Tangles. Their bodies were in tangles. Hands in hair, legs wrapped around legs, arms, hands, fingers entwined. And wet. And soft. Natasha was well muscled, sure, but her skin was smooth and perfect like a ripe peach.

They lay, panting and spent. Valkyrie was between her lover's legs, head rested against the inside of Natasha's thigh, and occasionally she glanced up over the landscape of her body, the hills of her breasts and pubis, the valleys of her stomach and neck.

"So, I think I'm ready to have this off now," she said, poking at the incapacitator on her neck.

Natasha laughed. "You're a great lay, but not _that_ good. You really think I trust you after that last stunt?"

Valkyrie hrumphed and rolled off, reaching for her clothes which had been discarded haphazardly in their attempt to get closer to each other. "I'm incredible."

"You really are. But still. Not good enough to get that off until we're safely back on Earth."

"What? You sure you don't want to stick around this ass end of the universe a little longer?"

"It isn't all that bad, but no."

Valkyrie popped open a beer and wondered idly how many more she had left...12? 13? How long would that last her? A couple days, tops. Natasha shot her a disapproving look as she pulled on her jumpsuit and said, "Unlike some people I have a job to do."

Shrug. She took a sip. "Well then hopefully you've fixed the jump drive because otherwise we aren't leaving this place for a very long time."

She could still take the redhead back to the grandmaster, but at this point she didn't really want to any longer. Not that she was going soft just because of a little action, nah. Not her. This was just more fun, she convinced herself. Maybe she could spin this out a little longer. As long as the beer lasted at least.

Natasha was sitting back on her heels staring at her work, looking confused.

"I thought you were done," Valkyrie said.

"It's hard to know when you're done if you don't know what something is supposed to look like to begin with."

"Let me see?" Valkyrie sauntered over and crouched down next to her, poking a finger in amongst the wires unhelpfully. "Yup."

"Yup? You figured it out?"

"Maybe. Get me another beer will you?"

With Natasha's back turned, Valkyrie reached in and grabbed one of the plugs, yanking it out entirely. She shoved it in her boot before Natasha returned, and offered her the drink.

"No thanks," Valkyrie said, waving it away. "Not finished with this one."

"Then why.."

"That one's for you. I know you want to get back, but it's late and, I don't know about you, but I haven't slept since before I picked you up."

"I've really got to…"

"Just hang out with me for a bit. I promise we'll get you home in the morning."

Natasha sighed and seemed to think about it a moment. Valkyrie remembered being like that once. Reserved, careful, steadfast; back when she'd been just one of the Valkyries and not _The_ Valkyrie. Back when she could trust in the cause she fought for, back when she'd had a partner to share her burdens with. Naive. She'd been stupid back then.

She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until Natasha finally took a seat beside Valkyrie. They touched bottles.

"Skol," Valkyrie said.

"Nostrovia."


	5. Chapter 5

The night was cold, and the human was warm. Valkyrie had a bed in the back of her ship for occasions like this. Night was different depending on what planet she was on, but her internal clock ran just the same. The bed served her well for long hauls or simply as a place to have a quick one-night stand.

Was this a one night thing? She pulled The woman in closer to her, snuggling into the warmth of her back, and wrapping a hand around Natasha's body and cupping her breast. Even after all their exertions her hair still smelled like lavender and coconut.

She kissed the mortal's neck. This was nice. Morning could only come too soon.

She willed herself to stay awake longer, eyes closed, ensconced in the smell and heat, the softness of the bed and Natasha's body: smooth skin over muscle.

But sleep came even for immortals. And she dreamed, for the first time in a long time of nothing.

Morning brought with it her signature headache. Light too bright. Some loud clanking, probably Natasha. Too loud. Valkyrie pushed a pillow over her head.

"Whatever you're doing, you should've stop immediately and come back to bed," she called, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"I think I've got it figured out," Natasha said as she walked into the small bedroom. "There's a piece missing."

"Huh." Valkyrie rolled over.

"Must have been dislodged when we crash-landed. I've looked everywhere for it, but it must be wedged under some place I can't get to."

"Mmhmm." She lifted the pillow from her head to see Natasha, dressed in her jumpsuit and looking surprisingly fresh.

"I hope you don't mind. I used the little shower in the bathroom to clean up."

There was a shower on board? She'd have to investigate that. Later. Instead, she grumbled and lifted the blanket up, making space for Natasha to slip back into bed with her.

"As tempting as that is, I really need to get back soon."

"Why the rush? Someone waiting for you?"

There was a hesitation in Natasha's voice that made Valkyrie freeze. Was there someone else? Why did she care?

The half second before Natasha spoke again felt as if it stretched on endlessly.

Finally. "No. No one in particular. But the Avengers need me. They've lost people already. They can't lose one more."

 _Neither can I,_ is what Valkyrie wanted to say. Instead she pushed herself off the bed and walked naked to the liquor cabinet.

"It's still morning," Natasha said, slightly aghast.

"And I'm still thirsty." She poured herself a bourbon and emptied a can of tomato juice over it. A few chugs of hot sauce later she was sitting back in bed, enjoying her drink.

"Now what were you saying about a missing piece?"

"I think we're going to have to venture out beyond the ship, I checked your nav unit and it looks like this place is a scrapper planet. We just happened to land on the empty side of it. There's an outpost a little ways away."

"How far is a little ways?"

"A little over 48 miles, but with your hover bike…"

"You've been busy. Nav unit, shower, finding my bike…"

"You were asleep a looooong time."

Valkyrie glared over the top of her drink.

"Really, it's your own fault. If you didn't want someone poking through your stuff, you shouldn't have brought a spy aboard," Natasha said, tossing her hair back and turning to pick up Valkyrie's clothes from the floor. She threw them at her. "Put these on."

The woman was nosey, but at least she hadn't found the engine part Valkyrie had tucked into her shoe last night. She'd have to be more careful if she planned to keep the ruse going much longer.

Two Bloody Mary's later, Valkyrie was dressed and seated on her bike, trying to convince Natasha to get on the back.

"Asgardians don't process alcohol the way you mortals do. It's fine."

"You should really let me drive it."

"What? Astrid? No. And besides, you don't even know how."

"You named your bike Astrid?"

Valkyrie pet her bike on the handlebars and made a cooing noise. "Who's a good girl, Astrid? Who's a good girl?"

Natasha threw up her hands and climbed onto the back of the bike. The feeling of her hands wrapped around Valkyrie's waist made her feel strong and powerful. She revved the engine once, relishing the feeling of power between her legs.

"Hold fast," she said.

They blasted out of the ship's hatch. Trees whipped by. Tall and moss covered. Green and pink and black. Cool wind-thankfully the air was breathable-whipped at their faces and clothes.

Natasha gripped her harder, as if nervous flying two feet above the gnarled roots and grasses of the forest floor. But that seemed impossible. Even when she was first captured, the mortal hadn't shown evidence of fear or nerves.

Maybe something else was making her hold on like that. Valkyrie smiled, and fought the urge to push the bike faster.

She already knew the ride would end much too soon.


	6. Chapter 6

The planet was small enough that she could see the curvature of the earth on the horizon when it was visible between the patchwork of trees.

It would have been enchanting had it not also been so repetitive… and boring… Various shades of dull pink and black moss over dark brown bark: Black. Pink. Pink. Black. Pink. Black.

Nature really wasn't Valkyrie's "thing". Give her a bloodbath over a sunset any day.

"So, why me?"

Startled, Valkyrie glanced back at her passenger. "What?"

"Earth's a long way away from Sakaar. Isn't there easier prey close by?"

"It's not that far if you have a working jump drive."

"And I was just the first girl to fall into your orbit?"

"I mean, don't get a big head about it or anything.

"That can't be it. Seriously. Why me? Is it something to do with the Avengers? The Kremlin?"

"What?"

They passed from forest into meadow and on the horizon a small city was rising up from the golden-white grasses. Almost there.

"The Kremlin. Russia?" Natasha said, as if Valkyrie should know. "Putin. Communism. Tolstoy." Natasha kept saying things that sounded like words. "..Vodka." Ah, that one Valkyrie knew.

"I don't pay attention to the affairs of mortals."

"You just pay attention to me, then?"

Valkyrie grunted noncommittally. The truth really shouldn't have been so hard to say, but as she thought about it, it got stuck in her throat.

She remembered the first time she'd seen the quinjet. A little after she'd turned Hulk in to the Grandmaster. Poking around in there had revealed centuries old tech, little useful. Except one thing. A video that seemed to play on repeat when she pushed the right button: "Nice work, big guy." The vision had said.

At first it had been nothing. Once she'd stripped the quinjet of the little it had of value she'd sold it off and gotten blind drunk on the profits. Watching the Hulk fight that night she remembered the video and wondered about who he was, really, before she'd picked him up.

Who he had been to make that woman look at him so.

She went to visit a few times. Sparred with him. Developed a rapport with the big lug. They became friends. But it only gave her questions. He was so… innocent. And naive. And yet angry and aggressive at the same time.

A complex creature, certainly, and one that drew her affection, but not a creature that might inspire romantic love. He was too… simple for a woman like that.

She went back to the quinjet. Not often, but often enough. She told herself she was going back to make sure there wasn't anything valuable left behind. But that wasn't true. It was the message.

"...you're going very high very fast...I need you to help me out, ok?"

Or, less the message and more the messenger.

Hulk shared little insight even when she worked up the nerve to ask directly.

"Banner friend." He had grunted.

"Who?"

But she gots no more from him.

When the Grandmaster had expressed interest in acquiring more midgardians-The Hulk had brought in considerable profits-she had seen the trip as an obvious business opportunity. Clearly anyone who knew the Hulk would know how to defend themselves.

Business. That's what she'd told herself.

She felt the truth on her tongue: Hulk, the quinjet, the video. But something held her back. No, not something. She knew exactly. It was the pause she'd heard after asking Natasha if there was anyone waiting for her. It was Natasha's cool denial. It was "They've lost people already."

Instead, Valkyrie answered the question the way she had answered it in her head a few weeks ago, "It's just business."

Natasha made a noise that sounded like a growl in her throat, "Well I take my business very personally."

Gods blast that woman for making her feel guilty about all these secrets. Valkyrie was getting herself in too deep too quick.

She had to cut Natasha loose. Had to cut her loose before she managed to dig down through all the layers of shit Valkyrie had piled up on top of her soul. Natasha had already, inadvertently scratched the surface.

As the city neared, plains turning into dirt road turning into city streets, she decided she needed away from Natasha as quickly as possible. She needed a drink.


End file.
